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Friday, October 19, 2012

Judging My Book By Its Cover

I'm thinking about changing up my book cover before the release of the second book in the series. The video explains my reasons why. What do you think? Vote in the poll and let me know! Have suggestions? Leave a comment!

2 comments:

Love the video. I also love the cover art. I'm a little confused about what you actually want to do. Are you wanting to change the existing cover art to match a new theme for the three books?

If this is the case, I'd recommend that you consider the number of books you've already sold. If your sales so far are minimal, changing the existing cover probably won't have a significant impact. If you have pretty substantial sales, though, it could create confusion for your readers.

I think your existing cover is fantastic. I haven't read the back cover blurb, but looking at the title, the art, and the font, I can guess what the book is about, which is what cover art is supposed to do. I think the font style you've chosen really speaks to the title and theme, as does the image you've used. For the next two books, will you have the same protagonist? If so, whether that's the woman or the apparition, can you acquire other photos of that same model in different poses? That would create great continuity across your series. You have a very powerful cover now, so I'd recommend using this same theme for your upcoming books.

I've created cover art for a series that isn't out yet, so I had the advantage of developing a theme for continuity. I've used Seattle cityscapes as the background and a couple embracing in the foreground. I also acquired numerous images of each couple to create book trailers (also using many Seattle cityscapes). I have, however, had to adopt a theme for a book that I did not intend to have a series for. My first novel was going to be a stand-alone, but then a new story came to me and next thing I knew, I had a series. I chose to continue the cover art theme to the second book, but the original font I had used went MIA and I didn't figure out until after the 2nd book was published how to reinstall it. (sigh). Anyway, the colors created the continuity, hopefully enough for my readers to recognize it.

Hello. Your cover art dilemma has been percolating in my mind throughout much of the day.

Susanannwall's solution to the imagery is both brilliant and sensible in my opinion. I hope that you are able to find more images of the model that suit your trilogy, or that you are able to contact her for a custom shoot. The best part of that solution is that the main character will sell each book that follows in the series.

I also agree that the font you have chosen for the title on the current cover does an excellent job of showcasing the theme and tone of the book, but I see your point. If it shows up in too many disparate places, then it can start to feel a bit like you bought it in a generic tin can. The problem is that no matter which prefabricated font you choose, it is bound to show up elsewhere.

My possible solution is simple in theory, but may be challenging in execution. Design your own. It is necessary to use a common, prefabricated font if the code will need to be interpreted by each reader's computer or mobile device. We've all seen what happens when a font is not recognized. However, if potential readers will be experiencing the letters as part of an image file, then there is no need for such a precaution. Furthermore, designing your own will give you three important advantages. One, you won't be required to settle for what's already available to you. Two, it will help you create a unique and instantly recognizable brand. Three, you can copyright it, and thus insure that it does not pop up on a restaurant menu, or worse, on your competitors eBook cover. The challenge is to create a design that is truly one of a kind, showcases the theme and tone of your story, is readable at all resolutions, and looks amazing. A graphic artist should be able to dream something up, or you can do it yourself and truly claim it as your own.

Whatever you decide to do, I can tell you one thing for sure. The current cover design has already attracted my attention. I look forward to reading Apparition and the books to follow.